After launching a new category of computers called Ultrabooks at last year's Consumer Electronics Show, Intel is now focusing on hyping what's inside. Company touted a new deal with Comcast that will provide the cabler's Xfinity TV-based programming to Ultrabooks, all-in-one PCs, smartphones and tablets that use Intel's chips through live streams and on demand options. "Working closely with service providers like Comcast...

Comcast Corp. reportedly plans to sell movies for download and streaming through the cable operator's set-top boxes and its Xfinity TV website. According to people with knowledge of the plan, the effort, which would offer a new path for Hollywood studios to generate revenue from films after they leave theaters, could start by the end of the year. The initial offering will include new releases and older movies from several Hollywood studios and some TV shows, one of the sources said.

Comcast Corp. reportedly plans to sell movies for download and streaming through the cable operator's set-top boxes and its Xfinity TV website. According to people with knowledge of the plan, the effort, which would offer a new path for Hollywood studios to generate revenue from films after they leave theaters, could start by the end of the year. The initial offering will include new releases and older movies from several Hollywood studios and some TV shows, one of the sources said.

Apple has acquired Matcha , a startup that developed an app-based guide with personal recommendations for TV shows and movies spanning multiple services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Apple paid between $1 million and $1.5 million for the startup, according to an anonymous source cited by VentureBeat, which first reported the news Tuesday. Matcha launched with an Apple iPhone app in 2011 followed by an iPad version. Then this past May, the company told users it was...

By Ronald Grover LOS ANGELES, June 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether cable television companies are acting improperly in suppressing competition by Internet companies and online video services, according to a person with direct knowledge of the probe. The wide-ranging probe centers on cable companies' long-standing practice of bundling channels into a single package, and requiring subscriptions to access certain online ...

Comcast said Thursday that it has turned on more than 1,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in the Chicago area for its high-speed Internet customers to connect to while they're on the go. There is no additional charge for Comcast Internet subscribers to access Xfinity Wi-Fi, as the service is called. Comcast is also running a promotion where anyone can use the hotspots for free between May 24 and July 4. After July 4, non-Comcast subscribers will get two free hours of Wi-Fi per...

Apple has acquired Matcha , a startup that developed an app-based guide with personal recommendations for TV shows and movies spanning multiple services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Apple paid between $1 million and $1.5 million for the startup, according to an anonymous source cited by VentureBeat, which first reported the news Tuesday. Matcha launched with an Apple iPhone app in 2011 followed by an iPad version. Then this past May, the company told users it was...

Even now, even as paid critics become an endangered species, there remains a lot of television criticism, discussion of the import and meaning of the various filmed entertainments that flicker across our ever-larger screens. Much rarer are critiques of the television system itself, of the hardware and software that allow us to keep up with both the Kardashians and the Crawleys. It would be nice if this stuff were just an intermediary, a...

Guess it wasn't so Comcastic after all. Comcast is rebranding itself as XFinity, in an effort the nation's largest cable TV company suggests is designed to produce a full image overhaul. The brand change starts rolling out Friday in Chicago and 10 other markets, including Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. The parent company, which is preparing to take a majority stake in entertainment giant NBC Universal, will retain the Comcast name. The XFinity...

After launching a new category of computers called Ultrabooks at last year's Consumer Electronics Show, Intel is now focusing on hyping what's inside. Company touted a new deal with Comcast that will provide the cabler's Xfinity TV-based programming to Ultrabooks, all-in-one PCs, smartphones and tablets that use Intel's chips through live streams and on demand options. "Working closely with service providers like Comcast...

Comcast is adding Outside Television to its Xfinity platform. The channel is an extension of the Outside magazine brand and will be deployed next month across the nation in markets situated by coastlines, mountains and lakes. Outside TV will be available on Xfinity's Sports and Entertainment package. Click here for more television news on Variety.com.

Comcast said Thursday that it has turned on more than 1,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in the Chicago area for its high-speed Internet customers to connect to while they're on the go. There is no additional charge for Comcast Internet subscribers to access Xfinity Wi-Fi, as the service is called. Comcast is also running a promotion where anyone can use the hotspots for free between May 24 and July 4. After July 4, non-Comcast subscribers will get two free hours of Wi-Fi per...

Comcast is adding Outside Television to its Xfinity platform. The channel is an extension of the Outside magazine brand and will be deployed next month across the nation in markets situated by coastlines, mountains and lakes. Outside TV will be available on Xfinity's Sports and Entertainment package. Click here for more television news on Variety.com.

The cable guy is moonlighting as a security guard. On Wednesday, Comcast Corp.plans to introduce its Xfinity Home service in the Chicago area. The launch represents the cable company's push into home security and automation, which is a growing area for established players that already have a broadband pipeline into consumers' homes. Xfinity Home, which runs on a wireless data network, allows subscribers to watch a live security camera video feed on mobile devices, control...

The cable guy is moonlighting as a security guard. On Wednesday, Comcast Corp.plans to introduce its Xfinity Home service in the Chicago area. The launch represents the cable company's push into home security and automation, which is a growing area for established players that already have a broadband pipeline into consumers' homes. Xfinity Home, which runs on a wireless data network, allows subscribers to watch a live security camera video feed on mobile devices, control...